Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Nashville Show

Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
We recently stopped in Nashville to take in a show. We stayed at a nice RV park near the Opryland Hotel. A couple pulled up next to us pulling a 5th wheel. He was short like Little Jimmy Dickens, with a fancy entertainer style, glitzy cowboy hat. They had a thick German accent and fought like cats and dogs the whole time they were unhooking and setting up. My wife and I sat in our rig trying not to laugh too loud. They were not using their quiet voices. They were both expert at how things needed to be done but it was obvious they had taken two different RV 101 courses. The campsite across the street was giving them the stink eye, but we found it very enlightening. My question is, do we try to help in situations like this or just butt out and enjoy the show?
--Foreign Policy Question in Guitartown

Dear Foreign:
Unless you are bilingual you are probably better off to just listen and learn. In some cultures that may be exactly how setting up a 5th wheel is done. It may seem combative to you but to them it is normal conversation. Think of the "Soup Nazi" from the Seinfeld sitcom. He had a unique way of communicating with his customers that seemed to work for him. Two people that love each other very much can often disguise those feelings masterfully while helping each other back up into a tight RV spot. Some will do a quiet burn while others are more vocal. If you see a couple back-in quietly and efficiently--MOVE, they are just not going to be any fun at all. If you hear yelling, something like, "Just tell me what the backs doing!" get the lawn chairs out. When things settle down you might want to invite them over for cocktail hour. You will usually find out they are just nice, normal people who haven't perfected the art of RV parking yet.
--Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink
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2 comments:

I agree. Don't interfere. How people act during RV parking is not at all indicative of the type of people they are and one of them may actually know what they are doing. I have tried for years to educate my brother to not stand where I can't see him during backing but he does it again and again every time. He refuses to learn how I need him to tell me or signal instructions and loses his temper immediately every time. He is the worst person in the world to park an RV. However, once that is done and tempers cool, we are the quietest campers you'll meet.